Mendel Day

Mendel Day 2016 - 150 years of Mendel on the international scientific scene

Last year, celebrations were underway around the world to mark the 150th anniversary of Mendel´s major discovery concerning heredity presented as a lecture Experiments on Plant Hybrides in 1865. Despite regional positive echoes, this talk would have probably remained secret for future science. However, it was a year later when Mendel´s paper was printed and distributed to dozens of places in Europe and overseas. In this form, Mendel´s contribution entered the scientific world and could have been rediscovered in 1900 when a new generation of scientists began to realise the universality of Mendel´s discovery. Thanks to the journal of the Nature Science Society in Brno, we have ever learnt about Mendel´s discovery.

Nature Science Society in Brno was a filial organization of the former Agriculture Society (Ackerbaugesellschaft), assigned as Moravian scientific academy where Mendel was active 40 years and where he obtained inspiration for his research. Mendelianum is based in the headquarters of this society and moreover is a part of Moravian Museum with direct continuity with the Museum established by the Agriculture Society in Brno.

Mendelianum initiated an activity to commemorate Mendel´s scientific and cultural legacy in the way of an international Mendel Day and the idea was supported by scientists from all over the world. Hot spots of Mendel Day 2016 are Brno (home town), Vienna (Europe), Tuscon (US), Sydney (Australia), and Tokyo (Asia), the day is March 8. The March timing of Mendel Day symbolically fits between Darwin Day in February and DNA Day in April, spanning bridges between old and new science. Anybody is welcome to join (http://www.mendelianum.cz/en). We hope to have Mendel Day as an annual event connecting people through Mendel, with particular emphasis on educating students and the general public about how Mendel´s discovery has enabled so much progress in understanding biology.